Distributed access point for IP based communications
View Patent ↗An apparatus for Internet-Protocol based communications in a wireless network includes a network interface, a controller, and memory. The interface receives a series of multicast data packets. The controller identifies one or more receiving nodes in the wireless network requesting data corresponding to the series of multicast data packets and determines that the effective unicast rate for one or more unicast data packets exceeds a minimum data rate of the series of multicast data packets using an 802.x protocol. The memory stores instructions that may be executable by a processor. Upon execution of the instructions by a processor, the received series of multicast data packets is converted into one or more unicast packets, the execution and conversion occurring in response to instructions received from the controller. A system for Internet-Protocol based communications in a wireless network implements such an apparatus in the context of an access point.
1. An apparatus for Internet-Protocol based communications in a wireless network, the apparatus comprising:
a network interface to receive a series of multicast data packets;
a controller to:
identify one or more receiving nodes in the wireless network requesting data corresponding to the series of multicast data packets,
determine that the effective unicast rate for one or more unicast data packets exceeds a minimum data rate of the series of multicast data packets using an 802.x protocol; and
assign each of the one or more receiving nodes in the wireless network to one of a plurality of groups of receiving nodes;
memory storing instructions executable by a processor to convert the received series of multicast data packets into one or more unicast packets in response to instructions received from the controller; and
a plurality of radios, wherein each of the plurality of radios is:
assigned to one of the plurality of groups of receiving nodes, and
coupled to a wireless network interface to wirelessly transmit the one or more unicast data packets to the one of the plurality of groups of receiving nodes using an 802.x protocol.
2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the network interface constitutes a series of selectable antenna elements receiving wirelessly transmitted data.
3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the network interface is a wired data connection.
4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is a software application embodied in a non-transitory storage medium.
5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the non-transitory storage medium is the memory storing instructions executable by a processor.
6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is an application specific microprocessor.
7. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured in accordance with factory-installed instructions.
8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is configured in accordance with user-defined parameters.
9. A system for Internet-Protocol based communications in a wireless network, the system comprising:
an access point including:
a network interface to receive a series of multicast data packets;
memory storing instructions executable by a processor to convert the received series of multicast data packets into one or more unicast packets in response to instructions received from a controller, and
a plurality of radios, wherein each of the plurality of radios is:
assigned to one of a plurality of groups of receiving nodes; and
coupled to a wireless network interface to wirelessly transmit the one or more unicast data packets to the one of the plurality of groups of receiving nodes using an 802.x protocol; and
a controller that is physically distinct from but communicatively coupled to the access point, the controller configured to:
identify one or more receiving nodes in the wireless network requesting data corresponding to the series of multicast data packets, and
determine that the effective unicast rate for the one or more unicast data packets exceeds a minimum data rate of the series of multicast data packets using an 802.x protocol, and
assign each of the one or more receiving nodes in the wireless network to one of the plurality of groups of receiving nodes.